CORPORATE INNOVATION CLUSTER

A community for women driving innovation from within.

A space for intrapreneurs, innovation leaders, and venture builders shaping how innovation happens inside established organizations — across growth strategy, innovation teams, and venture building.

Salmine Sassi
LED BY · Salmine Sassi

OVERVIEW

Where corporate innovators connect, collaborate, and create change.

A focused community.

A global community of women leading innovation inside organizations — across intrapreneurship, growth strategy, innovation teams, and venture building.

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Built around shared work.

The Corporate Innovation Cluster brings together women working at the intersection of strategy and execution inside large organizations. Members share the practical work of building innovation capabilities, launching ventures, and creating room for new ideas in established structures.

Active. Not passive.

Built for contribution — members exchange playbooks, share what’s working inside their organizations, and tackle the hard questions of driving change from within.

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Where contribution happens.

Rather than passive networking, this cluster is built for active contribution. Members share frameworks, raise visibility for the realities of corporate innovation, and collaborate on the questions that matter most — from venture building to innovation team structures, growth strategy, and stakeholder navigation.

Led with purpose.

Guided by Cluster Lead Salmine Sassi, the group meets regularly to deepen trust, expand expertise, and turn shared knowledge into real-world organizational impact.

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Real leadership, real rhythm.

Guided by Cluster Lead Salmine Sassi, the cluster meets monthly to facilitate introductions, encourage engagement, and connect members around challenges, ideas, and opportunities in the corporate innovation space.

FOCUS AREAS

Six areas where our members focus.

From systems-level transformation to individual wellbeing, the cluster spans the full spectrum of healthcare innovation.

01

Intrapreneurship

Building entrepreneurial mindsets and capabilities inside established organizations — from idea to impact.

02

Growth Strategy

Designing and executing growth roadmaps that connect innovation to measurable business outcomes.

03

Innovation Teams

Structuring, scaling, and leading high-performing innovation functions within complex organizations.

04

Venture Building

Launching internal ventures, new business lines, and corporate startups that move beyond pilot purgatory.

05

Strategic Partnerships

Building cross-sector collaborations, ecosystem partnerships, and strategic alliances that amplify impact.

06

Innovation Inside Organizations

Embedding innovation as a core capability through culture, governance, and operating model design.

meet the cluster lead

Salmine Sassi

Salmine Sassi

Cluster Lead · Corporate Innovation

Salmine is a Venture Builder, Innovation Strategist, and educator combining the speed of a startup operator with the rigor of industrial research. An Obama Leader and co-author of With Grace and Grit, she has launched 20+ ventures and supported 360+ founders across three continents — helping executives move past “Innovation Theater” to de-risk technology growth, achieve product-market fit, and execute go-to-market and market-entry strategies.

members

Meet the Corporate Innovation members.

Engagement Pathway

From application to active member.

A clear, structured path into the Healthcare Innovation cluster — designed so every member starts engaged from day one.

01

Apply to Join

Submit your application through the Join page. We review submissions quarterly to ensure each cluster maintains its focused, engaged composition.

02

Meet the Cluster

Once accepted, you’ll be introduced to your cluster cohort with a personal welcome from Cluster Lead Salmine Sassi and an introductory meeting with the group.

03

Contribute & Collaborate

Attend monthly meetings, share opportunities, exchange expertise, and contribute to the conversations shaping corporate innovation worldwide.

JOIN THE CLUSTER

Ready to join the Corporate Innovation cluster?

A focused community of women driving innovation from within — across intrapreneurship, venture building, growth strategy, and innovation teams. Apply to join the conversation, contribute your expertise, and collaborate with peers worldwide.

Woman Innovator of the Year 2026

If you are nominating another woman, fill out the form for the other woman
Share your innovation story (provide details what problem you solved, and the innovative solution given). The story can be of this year or more long term. Please share your story in a simple and authentic way, covering the following points:• A brief introduction about yourself and your background • What inspired you to start your innovation journey • The problem or challenge you identified • How your innovation/project/idea was developed • The impact or change your innovation has created in your industry, community, or society • Any challenges you faced during the journey and how you overcame them • Your future vision or goals related to your innovationWe would also request you to share: • Relevant photographs/images related to your journey, work, innovation, events, or achievements • Short video clips (if available) that can help us during video creation and storytelling • Any media features, presentation clips, workspace visuals, or behind-the-scenes moments that reflect your journey authenticallyThe more personal and real the story feels, the more impactful the final storytelling piece becomes.
No Choosen File
Photos, short video clips, or behind-the-scenes shots that bring your story to life.
No Choosen File
Brochures, impact reports, presentation decks — anything that strengthens your story.
Woman innovator

Share your story. Inspire others. Lead the change.

We're spotlighting women innovators
who turn ideas into impact.

Deadline to submit
Aug 15, 2026
Stories featured
Oct – Nov 2026
Open to women
Worldwide
Become a member, complete the form,
and share your innovation story.

WHY PARTICIPATE?

  • Get featured on
    VOWI platforms
  • Gain global
    visibility
  • Earn community
    recognition
  • Inspire future
    innovators

Share your story.
Inspire others.
Lead the change.

This October to December, Voices of Women in Innovation (VOWI) will spotlight inspiring stories of women who turned ideas into impact.

We’re inviting women from around the world to sharetheir innovation journeys – or nominate someonewhose creativity, courage, and leadership have made
a difference.

Selected Stories

will be featured on VOWI’s platforms
throughout the campaign.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?

Women innovators from any field — business, technology, sustainability, science, education, or social impact — who have led or contributed to projects that create positive change.

Business

Technology

Sustainability

Science

Education

Social Impact

IMPORTANT DATES

Deadline to submit

August 15, 2026

Story features: Published

October-November 2026

HOW TO JOIN

  1. 1 Become a member of VOWI
  2. 2 Complete this short form
  3. 3 Tell us about the innovation story that deserves to be celebrated
Quill and paper illustration

SELECTED STORIES WILL RECEIVE

Featured on
VOWI platforms
Global
visibility
Community
recognition
Opportunity to
inspire others